FR2660982A1 - FLOW CONTROL DEVICE. - Google Patents

Abstract

Two half-bodies (76, 79) are connected in a sealed manner by an annular seal (92). A shutter (86) is movable relative to a seat (87) of a first (76) of the half-bodies. The shutter is rigidly connected to the other half-body (79) by a rod (88). To control the valve, the half-bodies are axially displaced relative to each other axially, by elastically compressing the seal (92) which is made in the form of a silicone sleeve. Use, in particular in the food industry, to remove the seals for the control of the valve, and to remove the recesses in the flow path.

Description

The present invention relates to a flow control device

  can be operated as a shut-off valve, a flow control valve, or

  valve, for example check valve.

  Valves or valves are known in which a ball is trapped between two half-bodies and can be applied against a seat formed on one of the half-bodies under the action of a return spring, or deviate of this seat to allow flow through the body, under the action of fluid pressure or under

the action of a control means.

  These known valves have the disadvantage of having many nooks in the interior where deposits can form These deposits can be detrimental to the proper functioning of the valve, and can also pollute the fluid flowing later through the valve, especially when the fluid It is a food, pharmaceutical or other substance In addition, in this type of valve, proper operation is no longer ensured when the spring is broken or has lost its initial elastic properties due in particular to contact with the fluid passing through the tap. case where the shutter must be ordered from the outside, a seal

  dynamic sealing must be provided between one of the

  body and the control member that passes through it with a certain mobility This dynamic seal must be replaced periodically, and its presence is reflected in additional nooks in the path of the fluid flow. The object of the invention is thus to propose a flow control device whose path

  internal flow has a minimum of relief.

  According to the invention, the flow control device, comprising two half-bodies connected to each other with interposition of annular sealing means and together forming a body defining a flow path between two openings each belonging to at one of the half-bodies, a shutter being mounted in the flow path movably between a closed position in which it is applied to a seat formed on a first of the half-bodies, and an open position in which it is spaced from this seat, the device further comprising means for returning the shutter in the closed position, is characterized in that the shutter is mounted between the seat and the opening of the first half-body and is connected to the second half body through the annular sealing means, and in that the return means, the sealing means

  rings are compressible axially.

  The movements of the shutter are accompanied by

  relative axial movements of the two half

  body relative to each other, subject to variation of

  the state of compression of the joint between the two half-bodies.

  There are no more specific recall means or disadvantages related to them The structure is simplified, its maintenance is facilitated, and the return means no longer impede the flow of fluid and no longer constitute a trap conducive to deposit formation

  in the flow control device.

  Preferably, the compressible annular sealing means for ensuring the return of the shutter comprise a tubular sleeve defining in its interior a duct connecting continuously with

  an inner duct of each of the half-bodies.

  Preferably, when the flow control device comprises means for actuating the shutter, these are constituted by means for

  controlling the relative axial position of the two half-bodies.

  Thus, the flow control device is particularly advantageous because the actuating means no longer have to pass through the wall of one or other of the half-bodies to be connected to the shutter. therefore no need for dynamic sealing around a shutter actuating rod, which eliminates the corresponding purchase and maintenance costs, the risks of wear and leakage, as well as all the risks of 'accumulation

  deposition in the vicinity of these dynamic sealing means.

  Other peculiarities and advantages of

  the invention will become apparent from the following description

various non-limiting examples.

  In the accompanying drawings: FIG. 1 is a schematic view from above of a rotary carousel processing machine according to the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic axial sectional view of the machine along the line IIII of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a machine processing device of Figures 1 and 2, the bottle being in the erect position; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but when the bottle is injected in the inverted position, Figures 5 and 6 are views in axial section of the central portion of the device, at rest and during injection respectively; and FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view, partly in section, of a sanitary mixer.

  using two valves according to the invention.

  The machine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is intended to be inserted in a bottle processing line. It comprises an inlet conveyor 1 receiving the bottles 2 coming from the upstream part of the chain and an exit conveyor 3 which conveys the bottles 2

towards the downstream part of the chain.

  Along the inlet conveyor 1 is disposed a spacer screw 4, of known type, which gives the successive bottles 2 a predetermined spacing and running speed so as to synchronize the bottles 2 with cavities 6 formed on the periphery of an input star 7 The cells 6 scroll above the conveyor 1 and receive the successive bottles 2 to propel them along a semi-circular path defined by a guide edge 8 of a guide plate 9 This semicircular trajectory, along which the bottles slide by their bottom on a floor 11, passes the bottles 2 of the input conveyor 1 to bottle treatment devices 12 mounted in a ring distribution on the side wall Outside of a rotating carousel 13 Along the periphery of the carousel 13, the treatment devices have a circumferential spacing between them corresponding to the interval

  between successive bottles on the star 7.

  By rotating the carousel 13, the processing devices 12 pass successively through a position 14 for gripping the bottles, a position 16 for overturning the bottles, an injection station 17, a position 18 for straightening the bottles and draining and a station 19 for transferring treated bottles to an outlet star 21 which is similar to the input star 7 and passes

  processed bottles from transfer station 19 to -

  exit conveyor 3 in a semicircle trajectory along which the bottles slide by their bottom on the floor 11 and follow another curved edge of

guiding 22 of the plate 9.

  Preferably, the output conveyors 2 and 3 are physically constituted by one and the same conveyor

  above which plate 9 is attached.

  The machine is protected and soundproofed by peripheral panels 23 at least some of which are transparent and / or can be opened to allow

  maintenance and detailed inspections.

  As shown in Figures 2 to 4, each treatment device comprises a clip 24 which has the function of grasping the neck bottle 2 which is presented to it at the gripping station, then manipulate the bottle during reversal operations and recovery, and finally to release the bottle at the

transfer 19.

  Each gripper thus comprises a clevis-shaped clamp body 26 comprising two arms 27 hinged about a substantially horizontal common axis 28 at two opposite sides of a body 29 of the treatment device. The body 29 is fixed to the rotatable frame 31 of FIG. carousel (Figures 2 and 3) and is extended radially outwardly from the rotatable frame 21 relative to

  the substantially vertical axis of rotation 32 of the carousel 13.

  The axis 28 is located in the vicinity of the radially outer end of the body 29 The axis 28 is called overturning axis because it is around this axis that the bottles 2 pivot for their reversal and straightening movements for this purpose , the clamp body 26 carries a finger 30 terminated by a fork 33 preferably made of low-friction plastic material and good wear resistance In the fork 33 is engaged a movement control bar 34 As shown in FIG. 1, the movement control bar 34 extends around the carousel 13 and, as shown in FIG. 3, is fixed for example by tabs 36, to the fixed frame 37 which is located under the frame

  rotary 31 and supports the latter in rotation.

  In the representation of FIG. 3, the movement control ramp 34 is seen as if, from the section plane of FIG. 3, the direction of the observer's gaze was not a line perpendicular to the plane of FIG. but a curve centered on the axis of rotation of the carousel Thus part 34 of the ramp 34 which controls the reversal movement of the bottles 2, and which is actually a circular axis propeller, appears in the figure 3 as being half

  circle centered on the overturning axis 28.

  The clamp 24 comprises two jaws 38 of plastic each fixed to a rigid branch 39 The two branches 39 are articulated to the body 26 along two axes 41 parallel to each other and perpendicular to the axis of overturning 28 The jaws 38 are controlled by a slider 42 between a gripping position, in which they are relatively close to each other and can hold between them the neck of a bottle, and a position of relaxation, in which they are relatively distant one of the other and allow the neck of a bottle to engage with each other from the star input 7 or to escape from them to be captured by the star output 21 The slide 42 is recalled by a spring not shown to the gripping position (situation shown in Figure 3) unless a cam 48 pushes it towards the body 26, which makes

  move the jaws 26 in the release position.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cam 48 is present only in the region around the rim of the carousel 13 in which the gripper jaws of each treatment device are to be moved from the gripping position to the release position (control station). transfer 19), held in the release position (passage of the transfer station to the gripping station), then returned to the gripping position (gripping station 14) along the rest of the perimeter of the carousel 13, as also shown at the top of the 6, the return spring 45 holds the slide 42 in the position in which the jaws 38 are pressed against the neck 2 of a bottle

being processed.

  Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, each gripper 24 is capable of grasping a bottle 2 in the upright position under the body 29 and of rotating it by 1800 around the free end of the body 29 under the control of the control bar 34 to bring the bottle to an inverted position (Figure 4) in which its neck is

  located just above a fluid injection nozzle 49.

  The nozzle 49 is connected via a valve 51 attached to the body 29, to a pressurized supply device 52 installed inside the carousel 13 and which may comprise for example a pump 53 (Figure 2) debiting in an annular conduit 54 to which are connected all the connections 56 to the valves 51 of all the

  processing devices 12 of the machine.

  Each valve 51 is controlled by a lever 57 which is movable between a closed position of the valve, shown in Figure 3, and an open position of the valve shown in Figure 4 The lever carries at its end a roller 58 which is engaged in a U-shaped control rail 59, which is fixed to the fixed frame 37 of the machine and extends around the latter, as can be seen in FIG. 1. The control rail 59 is circular centered. on the axis 32 of the rotary carousel except along the injection station 17, so as to pass each valve 51 in the open position at the injection station 17 and to maintain it in the closed position along

  of all other stations of the processing machine.

  Consequently, when a bottle 2 is at the injection station, as shown in FIG. 4, the nozzle 49 sends a jet of fluid inside the overturned bottle 2, through its neck. inner wall of the bottle 2 and flows along it before leaving the bottle 2 to

  through the neck of the latter.

  Fluid that flows well is collected through a chute 61 which is just below the neck of the bottle 2 and which surrounds the nozzle 49 with a certain radial spacing between the outer wall of the

  nozzle 49 and the inner wall of chute 61.

  The opening defined by the chute 61 gives access to the interior of the body 29 which constitutes an individual receptacle for collecting the fluid falling from the

bottle 2.

  By the term "individual receptacle" is meant a receptacle of relatively small size assigned to a single treatment device and rotating with the carousel 13 to remain under the neck of the bottles 2 being processed, especially along the post

Injection 17.

  At its radially inner end, the receptacle 29 communicates with an annular collector 62 mounted in the rotary carousel 13 to collect from all the receptacles 29 the falling liquid

bottles 2.

  In the example shown, this fluid is a liquid It may be a rinsing liquid such as water which, from the collector 62 will be led to the sewer It may still be a coating liquid bottles of relatively high pecuniary value, and which, from the collector 62, will be conducted via a filtration device and recycling to the pump 53 (Figure 2) In a manner not shown, the fluid injected by the nozzle 49 may be a gas that is not desired to be released in significant quantities into the atmosphere, to which

  case the manifold 62 is connected to a suction source.

  The receptacle 29 comprises an upper closure 63 in which are formed, in addition to the opening defined by the chute 61, an opening 64 in which is engaged the base of the valve 51, and a drainage collection opening 66 The latter is arranged in

  the radially outer end of the receptacle 29,

  that is to say the end of the receptacle 29 which is surrounded by the trajectory of the clamp 24 and the bottle 2 which it carries between the upright and upset positions of the latter FIG. taken by the bottle 2 during its return journey from the inverted position to the upright position along the straightening station of the bottles 18 of Figure 1 The position 2a, inclined at less than 900 relative to the position reversed, promotes the draining of the bottle following the injection undergone along the injection station and the receptacle 29 collects the product of this

  draining through the opening 66.

  We will now describe in detail with reference

in FIGS. 5 and 6 the valve 51.

  The valve 51 comprises a fixed half-body 76 of generally tubular shape which is fixed to the receptacle body 29 by means of a collar 77 and a tab 78. At one of its ends, the fixed half-body 76 The other end of the fixed half-body 76 is shaped skirt 91 in which a movable half-body 79 is mounted in an axially sliding manner The two half-bodies 76 and 79 together form a valve body defining a flow path 81 between an opening 82 belonging to the fixed half-body 76 and communicating it with the connection 56, and an opening 83 formed through the side wall of the movable half-body 79 whose opposite end half-body

  fixed 76 is closed by an end wall 84.

  The valve 51 further comprises a spherical shutter 86 mounted in the fixed half-body 76 between the opening 82 of the latter and a seat 87 of shape

  general conical formed on the inner wall of the half

  fixed body 76 so as to flare towards the opening 82,

  that is, in the opposite direction to the other half-body.

  The spherical shutter 86 is fixed rigidly to one of the ends of an axial rod 88, the other end of which is screwed tightly into a threaded hole 90 of the end wall 84 of the movable half-body 79 to operate this screwing during assembly, the shutter 86 has on the side facing the opening 82 a slot 89 into which the end of a screwdriver can be introduced when it has not yet made the connection with the connection 56 La rod 88 thus extends through a portion of the fixed half-body 76 and through the entire axial length of the half-body

mobile 79.

  By sliding of the movable half-body 79 in the end skirt 91 of the fixed half-body 76, the shutter 86 is movable between the closed position shown in FIG. 5, in which it is pressed in a sealed manner against the seat 87, and an open position shown in Figure 6 in which it is spaced from the seat 87 while the movable half-body 79 is in a retracted position

inside the skirt 91.

  The valve 51 further comprises means for returning the shutter 86 in the closed position and sealing means between the two half-bodies 76 and 79. These return and sealing means are constituted by the same part, namely a silicone plastic sleeve 92 which is mounted around the rod 88 with an annular space therebetween defining a portion of the flow path 81 The sleeve is inserted axially between an annular shoulder 93 of the fixed half-body 76 and an annular shoulder 94 The sleeve 92 is elastically compressed in the axial direction between the shoulders 93 and 94, which has the effect of sealingly pressing it on each of the two shoulders 93 and 94, there and axially urging the one away from the other the two half-bodies 76 and 79, so to apply the shutter 86 on its seat 87 under a force which corresponds substantially to the elastic compressive force of the sleeve in this e relative position of the two half-bodies. Each half-body 76 and 79 has around its shoulder 93 and 94 respectively a centering surface 96 cooperating with the corresponding end of the outer lateral surface of the sleeve 92 to center it on the general axis of the valve 61. sleeve 92 has a cylindrical inner surface 97 extending over its entire axial length and which has the same diameter as bores 98 and 99 adjacent to the sleeve and belonging to the half-bodies 76 and 79, respectively, said inner surface 97 is connected continues with the bores 98 and 99 to give the flow path between the shutter 86 and the opening 83 a smooth configuration of annular section, the rod 88 itself being cylindrical with a diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the wall 97 and

bores 98 and 99.

  A clearance 101 is formed around the sleeve 92 between the two centering surfaces 96 to allow the sleeve 92 to inflate slightly outwards when, as shown in Figure 6, it is axially compressed.

  to move the shutter 86 to the open position.

  In the example shown, the sleeve 92 has an outer surface which is cylindrical and coaxial with its cylindrical inner surface 97, so that the sleeve 92 can be made by cutting a single tube

silicone plastic material.

  To control the passage of the shutter 86 in the open position against the return effect exerted by the sleeve 92, the actuating lever 57 is axially integral with a cam 102 which selectively causes the displacement of a lever 103 which has an axis 107 integral with the receptacle 29 and which is supported at a distance

  of the axis 107 on a shoulder 104 of the movable half-body 79.

  As further shown in FIG. 6, when the half-body 79 is actuated in the direction of the opening of the shutter 86, this results in an upward movement of the nozzle 49 which is rigidly connected to the movable half-body 79 so as to communicate in a sealed manner with the opening 83 This can slightly penetrate the nozzle 49 in the neck of the bottle 2 and strengthens the

precision of the injection.

  As shown in half-view in FIG. 6, it is conceivable to adapt in the trunking 61 a sealing bellows 108 whose movable portion is supported by a rigid ring 109 connected to the nozzle 49 by rigid bars 111. nozzle 49 rises with the half-body 79, it comes sealingly apply the bellows 108 against the neck of the bottle, as shown. This is advantageous when the fluid used is a gas that

  it is desired to collect in the receptacle 29 by suction.

  A conduit 106 which connects the nozzle 49 to the opening

  83 extends freely inside the receptacle body 29.

  The valve 51 has the advantage of having a smooth flow path 81, very unfavorable for deposit accumulations, and of not having a dynamic seal for the control of the valve, that is to say of do not require that one of the half-bodies be traversed so

  sealed by a control member of the shutter.

  The operation of the treatment machine will now be explained: The bottles 2 conveyed by the input conveyor 1 and suitably spaced by the spacer screw 4 are returned by the input star 7 to the successive processing devices 12 The cam 48 controls the closing of each gripper 24 at the moment when the input star 7 has placed

a bottle between his jaws.

  After closure of a clamp, the guide bar 34 controls by its helical region 34 has the progressive reversal of the cylinder 2 considered, this reversal ending at the beginning of the injection station 17, shortly before the control rail 59 does not control the opening of the valve 51 and therefore the injection of fluid through the nozzle 49 After the injection, the bottle is held for a while in the inverted position to allow it to drain, then the control bar 34 controls the straightening of the bottle along the straightening station 18 until the bottle is housed in one of the cells of the output star 21, whereupon the cam 48 controls the opening the clip to allow the bottle to be driven from the post

  transfer 19 to the output conveyor 3.

  In the example of Figure 7, the sanitary mixer comprises two valves 51 identical to that of Figures 5 and 6 which are mounted parallel to one another and controlling one a cold water pipe 121 and the Another is a hot water pipe 122 The valves 51 are controlled by the same lever 123 hinged to a frame 124

  by a ball joint 126 equidistant from the two half

  moving bodies 79 on which the lever is based.

  A cylindrical cam 127 is slidably mounted, without the possibility of rotation, on an axis 128 rotatably supported in a bore 129 of the body 124. The active part of the cam 127 rests on the lever 123 at a point 131 which varies according to the angular position of the axis 128

  and who is thus more or less close to one of the half

  body 79 and respectively less or closer to

the other half-body 79.

  If, as shown by way of example, the point 131 is close to the valve 51 of the conduit 121, the corresponding sleeve 92 is more compressed than the other and the water supplied to the common outlet tube 132 is relatively fresh. A control lever 133 articulated to the axis 128 along a diametrical axis 134 makes it possible to rotate the axis 128 so as to adjust the temperature of the water supplied by

the outlet tube 132.

  The handle 133 is integral with two opposite flow control cams 136 which, when the handle 133 pivots about its diametrical axis 134, more or less drive the cylindrical cam 127 toward the lever 123 so as to more or less compress together the two sleeves 92 to adjust the flow without substantially varying the

temperature of the mixture.

Claims (8)

  A flow control device, comprising two half-bodies (76, 79) connected to each other with the interposition of annular sealing means (92) and together forming a body defining a flow path (81). ) between two openings (82, 83) each belonging to one of the half-bodies, a shutter (86) being mounted in the flow path (81) movably between a closed position in which it is applied to a seat (87) formed on a first (76) of the half-bodies, and an open position in which it is spaced from this seat, the device further comprising means for returning the shutter (86) in position closure member, characterized in that the shutter (86) is mounted between the seat (87) and the opening (82) of the first half-body (76) and is connected to the second half-body through the means of annular sealing (92), and in that under the return means, the sealing means (92) cancel ires are compressible axially.   2 Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the compressible annular sealing means to ensure the return of the shutter comprises a tubular sleeve (92) defining in its interior a conduit (97) connecting continuously   with an inner duct (98, 99) of each of the half   body. 3 Device according to claim 2, characterized in that an inner diameter of the sleeve (92) is equal to an inner bore diameter that each of the half-bodies (76, 79) on either side of the   sleeve (92) for defining the flow path (81).   4 Device according to one of claims 2 or   3, characterized in that the sleeve (92) is made of silicone.   Device according to one of claims 2 to   4, characterized in that the sleeve (92) is a tube   inner diameter and constant outside diameter.   6 Device according to one of claims 1 to   5, characterized in that the shutter (86) is connected to said second half-body (79) by a rod (88) extending substantially axially in the flow path (81).   7 Device according to one of claims 1 to   6, characterized in that the shutter (86) is spherical.   8 Device according to one of claims 1 to   7, characterized in that the shutter carries on its face facing the opening of the first half-body a gripping means (89) for a tool for rotating the shutter (86) and its means (88) of connection to the other half-body (79) for fixing the connecting means in   conjugate means (90) carried by the second half-body.   9 Device according to one of claims 1 to   8, characterized in that one of the half-bodies (76) comprises   a skirt (91) surrounding the other half-body (79).   Device according to one of claims 1 to   9, characterized in that the connecting means between the shutter (89) and the second half-body (79) is an axial rod (88) attached to an end wall (84) of the second half-body (79). ), the opening (83) of the latter being lateral.   11 Device according to one of claims 1 to   , comprising means for actuating the obturator, characterized in that the means (57, 59, 102, 103) for actuating the shutter are means for controlling the relative axial position of the two half-bodies (76, 79).